The 450RM operates on iDirectGov’s Evolution Defense, Viasat GX, SES Flex and DVB-S2X networks, as well as the military-standard 188/165B Enhanced Bandwidth Efficient Modem (EBEM). It supports operations across geostationary (GEO), highly elliptical (HEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations, while maintaining the highest security standards.

Designed for space-constricted environments, the half-rack unit allows two 450RMs to be mounted side-by-side in the rack, minimizing rack space requirements while providing a protected, durable form factor.

“The 450RM is resilient, secure and flexible to suit our troops’ satellite communications at the tactical edge,” said Tim Winter, iDirectGov president. “Its multi-technology architecture delivers optimized performance and efficient operations.”

The 450RM is powered by the 4‑Series SDM architecture, which integrates iDirectGov’s Communication Signal Interference Removal (CSIR) technology and a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)-140-3 Level 3 approved Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Cryptographic engine for secure, resilient communications. This architecture enables a TRANSEC‑compliant network design that exceeds U.S. government standards and delivers high‑quality voice, video and data across contested environments.

Source: iDirectGov

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The funding includes a new $300 million Series E round co-led by Snowpoint Ventures and Franklin Templeton, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, funds and accounts managed by affiliates of BlackRock, Baillie Gifford, and Fidelity Management & Research Company, as well as BAM Elevate, Nimble Partners, and Friends & Family Capital, along with other existing and new investors.

A delayed-draw credit facility by Trinity Capital adds up to $155 million of additional capital to support the addition of new manufacturing capacity and support future growth.

Astranis will use the new funding to accelerate satellite production for its commercial customers and scale up to support major U.S. government programs of record, as the U.S. Space Force expects one of the largest budget increases ever seen by a service branch. The increase to $71.1 billion next year is in direct response to new space threats posed by adversaries China and Russia.

“The world is more contested and volatile than it once was. Sovereign, secure communications infrastructure is more critical than ever,” said John Gedmark, CEO and co-founder of Astranis. “We built Astranis to deliver satellites at speed and at scale. This capital accelerates our ability to meet demand from our commercial customer base around the world, and importantly we are now spooling up to support multiple US Government programs of record simultaneously.”

“GEO is the single most important orbit for national security, and that’s the orbit where we are seeing the largest need for new capability by Space Force. We’re excited to support Astranis as they scale and accelerate delivery for these important U.S. government missions,” said Alexander Creasey, general partner at Snowpoint Ventures.

“Astranis has an incredible track record of having actually flown full-capability satellites in higher orbits in a way that no other company has done. They are uniquely positioned to deliver sovereign, secure communications infrastructure that the world needs. This investment reflects our conviction in both the opportunity and the team,” said James Cross, managing director at Franklin Templeton.

Source: Astranis

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The Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) incorporated Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) into its 5G specifications with 3GPP Release 17, paving the way for the seamless extension of 5G services beyond terrestrial limits. Both Kratos and Intelsat are leading the market in 5G-NTN adoption; Kratos is working with key industry partners to develop cloud native 5G-NTN solutions for satellite operators, while Intelsat is focused on building a multi-layer, next-generation software-defined network.

Kratos and its partner Radisys announced last year their plans to develop a satellite base station – a 5G NTN gNodeB — delivered completely as cloud-native software, to be deployed as part of the OpenSpace® system. The over-the-air (OTA) demo conducted by Kratos and Intelsat validated that joint solution, leveraging it to orchestrate a 5G NR-NTN cell that was activated over Intelsat’s Galaxy 19 Ku-band GEO satellite. Multiple User Equipment (UE) emulators from partner VIAVI Solutions successfully attached and established PDU) traffic flows from different locations within the 5G-NTN cell, demonstrating that any standards-compliant terminal can access the 5G network on a satellite connection. This brings the industry closer to truly ubiquitous broadband services for all customers, regardless of location.

“This demonstration represents a significant milestone in both companies’ progress in advancing ubiquitous 5G connectivity that spans both terrestrial and space networks,” said Greg Quiggle, senior vice president of product management at Kratos. “This remarkable technical accomplishment demonstrates the value of the OpenSpace virtual ground system in enabling that connectivity.”

5G-NTN opens the door to a broad range of new communications services in markets unserved or underserved by terrestrial connectivity alone. It paves the way for seamless service delivery across satellite orbits, satellite operators and for mainstreaming satellite-enabled services seamlessly across the global web of terrestrial communications networks. Kratos’ OpenSpace platform will play a key role in that revolution by bringing the dynamic software-defined networking principles that are common in today’s terrestrial networks to the legacy satellite environment and leveraging a common, standards-based architecture for the delivery of global 5G services with terrestrial network partners.

Source: Kratos Defense

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LEO constellations are strategic to military operations, delivering connectivity with lower latency than a traditional Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite. These capabilities will be increasingly important as future military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) networks must quickly adapt to multiple missions and multiple orbits. A virtualized ground system such as OpenSpace provides far greater resiliency and agility needed for these modern military operations, including multi-orbit, multi-mission support when compared to traditional, hardware-based systems. Kratos’ OpenSpace Platform is the industry’s only commercially available, fully software-defined satellite ground system.

The demonstration showed a flexible network architecture that allowed soldiers to connect Telesat’s LEO 3 satellite through Cobham antennas. Kratos’ OpenEdgeTM 2500 digitizer was integrated with Cobham’s Tracker 1300TT antenna, enabling standardized traffic (DIFI) to pass directly from Cobham’s digital-ready antenna through virtualized modems at the network’s edge to the LEO 3 satellite.

In future conflicts, it will be crucial to have multi-orbit operations seamlessly share information among military branches and international partners. Kratos has worked with several satellite service operators over the past year to test and verify functionality of OpenSpace as a gateway and edge platform at each of the major orbital belts, GEO, MEO and LEO. Kratos has successfully demonstrated the openness, flexibility and interoperability of OpenSpace in other satellite orbits, with other satellite operators and equipment partners.

Chris Badgett, vice president of technology for Kratos Space, said, “Every mission has different requirements for space connectivity requiring maximum flexibility to leverage multiple satellites, networks and network elements. Only a software-defined platform can provide the levels of adaptability at mission speed along with the openness to maximize available network resources. Both Telesat and Cobham are at the forefront in this digital transformation of satellite ground systems.”

Source: Kratos Defense & Security

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SmallSat GEO is intended for the communications market and can operate in geosynchronous orbit and provide higher power and performance than may have been needed in low-earth orbit (LEO). The geosynchronous market is moving toward small satellites with more and more GEO spacecraft ordered in the small size class. Terran Orbital is leveraging its investment in a 94,000 sq ft advanced manufacturing facility with automation in build and test, as well as three previous GEO missions, to expand into this market.

“Our customers require agility, affordability, and the ability to adapt their geosynchronous communication architecture,” said Marc Bell, co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer at Terran Orbital. “We can bring our LEO small satellite heritage to GEO and provide the agile customization that our customers have come to expect and value.”

Source: Terran Orbital

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“I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Kerry Wisnosky as president and CEO for Quantum Space. He is a visionary leader renowned for his ability to drive transformative growth and foster a culture of excellence,” said Dr. Kam Ghaffarian, co-founder and executive chairman, Quantum Space.  “Steve Jurczyk, as IBX Executive Vice-President will continue to be engaged as a significant advisor to me, the portfolio companies, and the Quantum Space leadership team.”

As a proven aerospace executive and entrepreneur for more than 25 years, Kerry co-founded a multitude of highly successful engineering and technology companies, highlighted by Millennium Engineering and Integration, leading its merger with QuantiTech in 2021. In this new role, he will now be responsible for Quantum Space’s strategic direction moving forward as the company prepares for the inaugural launch of its Ranger multi-purpose vehicle in early 2025.

“I could not be more honored to accept the position of president and CEO at such a pivotal period of growth and opportunity for our company,” said Wisnosky. “I am looking forward to executing on our bold vision for transforming how organizations access and operate in GEO and beyond. Furthermore, I am genuinely excited to continue working with our talented team at Quantum Space as we build upon the exceptional foundation that has been established.”

Source: Quantum Space

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The ARBALEST program and expected AFRL-led mission will demonstrate the military utility of LEO space relay over commercial high throughput satellites in support of space mission resilience, real-time data dissemination, command and control (C2), as well as the rapid retasking of government space vehicles. Viasat’s space relay solution is key to enabling these capabilities and will leverage the upcoming ViaSat-3 constellation, which includes three Ka-band terabit-class GEO satellites, to provide continuous coverage for LEO spacecraft anywhere and at any time in their orbit.

Under the ARBALEST program, Viasat will provide AFRL with a Ka-band space relay payload for integration into a spacecraft for the future AFRL mission, as well as provide engineering analysis, integration and test support. Viasat will also support the on-orbit demonstration phase of the mission.

“Viasat is very excited to expand its partnership with AFRL and to accelerate the delivery of advanced commercial space-based communications for the DoD,” said Craig Miller, president of Viasat Government Systems. “This real-time space relay capability will offer an efficient method of moving LEO satellite data to the ground for operations. Most importantly, this technology will help increase resilience for future U.S. space missions and benefit warfighters with more direct, immediate access to information and data to improve the situational awareness and decisions supporting the safety of those on the front lines.”

Source: Viasat

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York manufactures and architects low Earth orbit (“LEO”), geosynchronous equatorial orbit (“GEO”), and cislunar spacecraft solutions for the proliferated satellite market. The company’s products are purposefully designed to balance scalability, manufacturability, and efficiency to meet the schedule-driven, high-volume demand for customers’ small satellite constellations. York’s spacecraft solutions are designed for all mission types, including communications, EO/IR, radiofrequency, hyperspectral, weather, remote proximity ops, and more. The company currently serves a variety of leading government and commercial customers, including the Space Development Agency (“SDA”), for whom York is providing spacecraft solutions as part of both Tranche 0 and Tranche 1 of the agency’s Transport Layer.

Headquartered in Denver, CO, York has approximately 165,000 square feet of satellite manufacturing space across the Denver area. With the recent opening of its newest facility in the Denver Tech Center, York boasts the capacity to produce 750+ satellites per year.

Building on its marquee wins on the U.S Department of Defense’s new proliferated LEO constellation, York now has the significant institutional investor backing and capital to continue to make great inroads in both the government and commercial small satellite market. CEO Dirk Wallinger, who founded York in 2012, will continue to lead the company, and Chairman Charles “Chuck” Beames will continue to serve on the board of directors. Both will maintain significant ownership positions in York.

“With its innovative spacecraft designs and manufacturing processes, York has revolutionized the small satellite market, which is poised for significant growth in both the government and commercial markets over the next 20 years,” said Kirk Konert, partner at AEI. “Backing the largest independent small satellite manufacturer represents a unique opportunity to serve the fast-growing LEO commercialization and national security markets, and we look forward to partnering with Dirk, Chuck and the entire York team during this exciting time in the space industry and at the company.”

“AEI has distinguished itself as a leading investor across the space ecosystem and is the ideal partner for York as we look to rapidly scale the business,” said Wallinger. “The firm’s deep sector knowledge as well as AEI’s experience in aerospace production will be critical as we continue to grow York and deliver for our customers.”

“We’re proud to have pioneered a unique, game-changing, standardized approach to spacecraft manufacturing. With access to new relationships and capital, this exciting new partnership with AEI ensures York’s continued ability to lead in delivering world-class solutions for government and commercial customers,” said Beames. “We’ve been very impressed with the AEI team and are eager to move into this next stage of growth.”

“We are thrilled to partner with York at such a critical inflection point for the satellite industry and see impactful tailwinds that will further advance the company’s entrenchment across commercial and defense LEO satellite constellations,” said Tyler Letarte, vice president at AEI. “Having been awarded several high-profile, mission-critical satellite constellation contracts that validate York’s technology and capabilities, the company is well-positioned to achieve significant near-term growth. We are excited to bring our space sector expertise and portfolio, as well as our production know-how, to accelerate York’s mission.”

Source: AE Industrial Partners

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The companies engaged in a strategic demonstration to the U.S. DoD that shows transport diversification between the geostationary orbit (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations with seamless switching between them.

Referred to as Automated Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency (APACE) communications, the solution enables soldiers to survive and excel in contested electronic warfare environments. The reliability of communications is significantly improved by simultaneously sending data over multiple paths and adjusting the traffic flow in real-time between GEO and LEO satellite constellations.

Intelsat and OWT used both GEO and LEO services simultaneously, switchingC5 the data flow between orbits instantly at the packet level, using software to determine which connection will provide the best experience based on the technical requirements of the end service. The software solution can be hosted on existing fielded ruggedized virtual machine platforms allowing the system to run in the harshest environments.

Two satellite links were established during the demo – one on the Intelsat 37 (IS-37) satellite and one on a OneWeb satellite. The links communicated through various end-user terminals, including a SatCube terminal, a Kymeta U7/8 terminal, a Litecom GEO terminal, and a OneWeb Intellian terminal, demonstrating applications such as two-way voice and data downloads and MP4 video.

“This demonstration shows how through the power of partnership, we can provide a reliable, secure, multi-orbit, multi-band capability for the military that connects our warfighters to meet their evolving mission requirements,” said President of Intelsat General Dave Micha. “This enables the delivery of required connectivity, throughput and services to customers when and where that reliable access is needed, even in the harshest elements.”

“This demonstration of low latency, high-capacity throughput via a multi-orbit solution that increases the resiliency of commercial Satcom to DoD and allied partners globally is an important steppingstone as OneWeb rises to the challenges and needs of our customers through partnerships,” said Bob Roe, CEO of OneWeb Technologies, the U.S. Proxy subsidiary of OneWeb.

Intelsat’s FlexMove service, combined with partner terminals, can be deployed within an hour. For military customers, this quick set-up, reliable and secure offering provides beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) seamless communications at times when connectivity is most critical.

Source: Intelsat

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The u8 is the first and only terminal available today to demonstrate the automatic handover between a GEO SATCOM terminal and Kepler LEO constellation with high throughput for communications on the move (COTM) and on the pause (COTP). Today’s warfighters require access to command and control (C2) networks providing message traffic, email, VoIP, and VTCs as well as higher throughput networks for sending and receiving large amounts of data. The demonstration proved that access to C2 networks and high throughput communications is possible with a single integrated terminal, the u8.

“While today’s mobile forces operating in remote environments may have communication access through a traditional very small aperture terminal (VSAT) or legacy COTM terminals, they do not have access to the high-throughput LEO constellations,” said Rob Weitendorf, vice president, business development, Kymeta. “The u8 provides the needed capacity and seamless connectivity between LEO and GEO satellites. We could not be more thrilled with the excitement our demo received from the Special Forces community at the event.”

Three stationary ground stations with GEO and LEO capabilities located in Inuvik, Canada, Redmond, WA, and Tuscon, AZ were combined with one mobile terminal at the demonstration Virginia Beach, VA. Each station had access to six Kepler LEO satellites and two GEO satellites. The change from GEO to LEO and linear to circular polarization was automated and accomplished via software only. Kymeta and Kepler’s experimentation was focused on providing high data rate point-to-point communications where data was transmitted from ground station to ground station without connection to the cloud, followed by GEO SATCOM for day-to-day operations.

Results exceeded expectations and demonstrated a significant increase in performance with lower latency, enhanced look angles, and speeds that are approaching 10X faster than earlier products with higher throughput and total data passed. Testing results included download speeds of 240 Mbps and upload speeds of 193 Mbps achieved with over 2 GB of data transferred during a single LEO pass. This capability has utility in polar regions where access to high-throughput communications is unavailable and mechanically-steered antennas struggle in low temperatures.

The demonstration further validates Kymeta’s ability to provide a LEO upgrade path for its u8 terminals and seamlessly leverage hybrid connectivity across multiple satellite constellations and ground LTE. Kymeta is the only flat-panel antenna (FPA) with electronic beam steering and no moving parts built for mobility and designed for the needs of military, public safety, and commercial customers.

Source: Kymeta

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